OVCC Members Promote Easier Videoconferencing

Enterprise users soon will be able to place and receive video calls using the first Open Visual Communications Consortium (OVCC)-compliant services supported by eight different global network and managed-service providers.

This collaboration marks the first service milestone for the group of leading service and solutions providers creating the blueprint to deliver high-quality video collaboration that connects any vendor, any network and any device, anywhere, the group says.?

The OVCC is a group of global video-exchange providers, network providers and equipment manufacturers working together to expand video communications and to simplify video calls. Members are charged with creating multi-vendor, multi-network specifications offering a technical blueprint and business model to support all video systems, from immersive telepresence and room-based systems, to high definition and standard definition, and from desktop clients to mobile devices.

Four network service providers developed the first OVCC compliant interconnect network that provides the backbone to support video connections between carrier platforms: AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Masergy and Orange Business Services. This approach reportedly will allow OVCC members to connect into this backbone and to offer network-agnostic video services.

The OVCC members participating in initial OVCC compliant services based on that interconnect network this fall are AT&T, BCS Global, Bharti Airtel, BT, Glowpoint, Orange Business Services and Verizon.

The first wave of multi-network, OVCC-compliant video-service offerings will include:

>> Scheduled Meetings – Users schedule their meetings for a specific date, time and number of participants. They will use an access number and password to dial into a meeting.
>> Content sharing – The ability to share presentations, documents and PDFs while simultaneously operating a videoconference.
>> Encryption – Standards-based encryption technology so users are assured their conversations are confidential.

According to OVCC President Andrew McFadzen, “The OVCC blueprint and best practices for multi-network video calls will remove the burden of technical details like network interoperability and service coordination from the enterprise so business users can focus on business.”??

The OVCC blueprint allows users to contact the service provider to set up a videoconference, just like scheduling a phone conference. ?